Under 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase access, by approaches like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, when their usual appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
